Progress and a Three Mile Woman

Like I was telling y'all yesterday, I finished my cute chicken apron. After thinking about it in bed for a while last night, I decided I'm going to call her Petunia. A pretty name for a pretty lady. ;)

I'm telling y'all- this site is the best for learning how to embroider. Self teach, honeys!

But I digress, Petunia needed some eyes, the poor dear, so I had to re-learn the french knot, which is not as easy as I once thought it was. I don't know what happened to me and my embroidery skills in the past few months, but my french knots were not coming out as knots at all! They looked more like a knot with a bunch of thread hanging down. And I couldn't very well leave my best girl lookin' like this, now could I?!

Please excuse the wrinkly old hands. I swear, I'm 28. It's just this dry winter air! You believe me, don't you? Don't you????

So, after many, many, (many) tries and one needle poked finger later, I was finally able to give my little Petunia the blessed gift of sight.

Have you ever seen lovelier blue eyes?

I looked at all I had done and was amazed. My little Petunia had grown up so fast and finally she was ready to go out in that big, scary world. *sniff, sniff. I was so proud of myself, I jumped up to start wrapping this baby 'round my waist, but stopped dead in my tracks. Oh, what a bad chicken momma I was! I looked down to see that my cute little 'Tunia had no legs! Nothing to scratch the fresh dirt with, no claws to paint a pretty pink color when she's out getting a mani-pedi-...er, wait... a clawicure?? And I'd certainly left her nothing to walk on for those nights when all the other apron chickens get together for some hen gossip and checking out the hot rooster studs. If my little gal was ever gonna have a chance to snag her a cute rooster, I'd have to give her the best dang legs my little hands could embroider.

So, I started working, and stitching up a storm...

And about 30 minutes of trying to give my girl a leg up in the world, (get it?! a leg up...she had no...and I was trying to give....ok. I promise I won't do that again) I was done.

Now, my hubby once told me he was a big leg man. But I think that was before he calculated that the woman who was going to be his future wife, while very becoming, was only 5'5". The poor guy discovered that this charming Southern girl loved her some heels when she was in a sorority and very much immersed the college scene. But, once she left sorority row and found herself a dark haired, dapper gentleman that she knew she would marry, she immediately started dressing the role of the doting wife. Which meant very chic, classic, preppy shoes.

She amassed a fortune in driving mocs, top siders, ballet flats, loafers, and the like and wore them all over town. And that, my friends is how he found out that his lovely 5'5" Southern gal, was really only a mere 5'1". Which for him, meant no long, lean legs that go on for miles and miles. My little legs go on only about 1/4 a mile and then they're done. But he told me he still loves me as much as 2 mile woman! And I am just fine with that. ;)

Then Hubby saw Petunia's legs. He came into the living room where I was admiring my best gal, and said, "Now that there is a 3 mile woman!". So, I asked him if a 1/4th a mile woman wasn't good enough for him these days?!? And after a bit of snuggling, he was able to convince me that I was the only 'chick' for him.

So even though there's a plump, blue eyed, 3 mile songstress living in my house right now, I don't mind. Really. I'm not threatened at all! ......... But maybe for just a little bit, I should hang Petunia in my small pantry closet. Hubby doesn't really go in there ever....not that I care if he did. Really!

You believe me, don't you?

Apron Memories

I just read this at another homemaking site. Since I've been talking about aprons (and a chicken!), I thought it was a fun read. I've gotten this message before in my email box and I'm happy to see it pop up again. Thanks Domestically Inclined!

Mrs. Sarah Canon, Wearing a White Apron, Watching the Chickens Eat Their Feed

Y The History of Aprons Y

I don't think kids know what an apron is.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, because she only had a few. It was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven. It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven. When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes. Send this to those who would know, and love, the story about Grandma's aprons. Or it can be a good history lesson for those that have no idea how the apron played a part in our lives.

REMEMBER: Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.

Nowadays, they would go crazy trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron. I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron...but love. Y

With those sentiments in mind, I'd love to show y'all a book that I just bought for myself. It is EllynAnne Geisel's Apron Book, and if you don't have it, you must go get it! It is a treasure of stories and pictures of beautiful vintage aprons.

If you have not heard of Mrs. Geisel, (...and I hadn't until I read about her National Tie One On Day over at the fab Apronista's blog.) she is an author and the curator of Apron Chronicles: A Patchwork of American Recollections, a traveling exhibit managed by the Women's Museum of Dallas. And avid collector, she has over 400 vintage aprons. I'm praying that this exhibit comes near my side of the tracks soon. I would LOVE to see all those beautiful aprons...imagine the stories they could tell.

Another cool thing Mrs. Geisel has created is National Tie One On Day™. On the eve of Thanksgiving, she encourages us to wrap a loaf of bread (homemade, perhaps?!) in an apron and tuck a prayer or note of encouragement in the pocket before delivering the bread to someone in need of spiritual or physical sustenance. Ok, now how awesome is that!? Of course, you have to be wearing a fabulous apron yourself!

I was able to finish my chicken apron yesterday, after a little self re-learning course in the french knot a.k.a. Miss Chicky's eye. I'm so happy it's over, but now I don't know what to get started on next! My sissy's 27th birthday is tomorrow so I think I'll whip one up for her. Being the loving sister that I am, I also got her some beautiful pearl earrings, and a super cute shirt from Vineyard Vines.

Alright folks, I've left you with plenty of links to keep your cute selves busy. Tomorrow I'll try to bring you some pictures of sissy's small celebration, my finished apron, and maybe a short story from the Apron Book, just cause I love it so much! :)

Y'all have awesome Tuesdays! We're almost in 2009- yay!

Homemaker Mondays- Gingerbread Cookies

I'm so happy to be participating in 11th Heaven's Homemaker Mondays! I've been following alone in my private family blog, but this is the first time I get to join her carnival! Yay!

This Monday, I wanted to share my Gingerbread Cookie recipe. This recipe is one that I've started making each year. This year I made it for my neighbors. They're great friends, and the night before I baked them, they helped Hubby stain our fence as well as fix our garage door. Someone decided that she was going to ram right into it with her big ol' SUV. In my defense, the garage door somehow didn't lift all the way up and when I tried driving in, the the top of my truck scraped underneath and started bending the door. Somehow these wonderful, wonderful boys fixed it and now you can't even see the dent! I don't know how they did it. My heroes. :)

The Southern Wife's Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup molasses
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Royal Icing (I'll include this recipe at the bottom)

Instructions:
Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with a mixer until fluffy.

Stir together 1/4 cup water and soda until dissolved; stir in molasses.

Combine flour and next 4 ingredients.

Add to butter mixture alternately with molasses mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Shape mixture into a ball; cover and chill 1-2 hours.

Roll to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.

Cut with festive holiday cookie cutters.

Place 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove to wire racks to cool.

Spoon icing into a small heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Snip a tiny hole in 1 corner of bag; pipe around edges of cookies.

Royal Icing

Ingredients:
1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar

3 tablespoons meringue powder*

6 to 8 tablespoons warm water

Instructions:

Beat all ingredients at low speed with a mixer until blended. Beat at high speed 4 minutes or until stiff peaks form. If needed, add water, 1/4 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency.

*I found my meringue powder at Micheals and at Hobby Lobby. You'll want to use a coupon on this one as they can get pricey. But the good new is that it will last a long time.

Tips:
* I've found that using a bit less molasses made them taste a lot better. The first batch I made were very very strong tasting and I didn't really like it.

* Don't be stingy with the flour, y'all! This batter gets very sticky and is really hard to pin down sometimes. Flour will really help.

* Dip your cookie cutters into flour before cutting the dough. That helps keep them from sticking to the dough when you're pulling out the cutter.

* I reduced the cooking time by about a minute or so. This made them soft inside, which is how I like my cookies. This may not work on all ovens- ours happens to get really hot.

* Keep dough you're not working on in the freezer. You don't want it to get back to its sticky consistency. (DON'T skimp on the chilling time. In fact, you may want to add on to it and/or stick it in the freezer.)

* The icing does dry really fast, so I keep my different colors (use food coloring or food color paste) in Tupperware containers when I'm not using them.

Y'all, I'm not Paula Deen, so I hope you weren't expecting some cookie masterpieces! ;) This is all you're getting...some delicious cookies that look just a tad on the ugly side. I probably need more practice with the icing, huh? ;)

Crafting with the Southern Housewife

Oh, how I wish it was the 50's and my mama was taught how to sew, knit, embroider and crochet. Sadly, she was a working woman from the age 18 on and had no time for my grandmother to teach her things that would be frivolous in her already busy schedule. So, when I set about learning these crafts I did not have my mother to turn to. My grandmother can sew and once taught me and my sissy how to crochet, but we were so young and I never once thought that it would be something I'd want to do. Back then, staying home didn't even enter my mind as a legitimate career. I was taught that when people asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up, the appropriate answer was "doctor", "lawyer", or "astronaut". It was never a "stay at home wife".

Sadly, my sweet grandmother has failing eyes and as much as she would love to teach me how to sew, she just can't. So, it was up to me to teach myself. When I wanted to learn how to knit, I enrolled myself in a class at the local craft store. When I wanted to learn how to sew, I signed up for the summer course at my community center. I learned the basics of embroidery from a fabulous sewing book as well as online tutorial videos that were very easy for me to understand seeing that I'm a very visual oriented person. Getting to watch someone do something is better for me than hearing someone talk about how to do it.

Something I absolutely LOVE making is a sweet, girly apron. I've made several since I started learning how to sew in the summer of '07, and only recently did I start making them for myself! They usually went to friends as gifts. So, it didn't take too much convincing to make another apron when I saw this ADORABLE little number. Oh goodness, I squealed with delight when I saw it! How could you not? That little chicken, the ric rac, the hand embroidery details, the peek-a-boo yellow trim at the bottom... all so sweet! I knew I had to have it- right now. But when I saw the price tag, I stopped in my tracks. In all fairness, Kerry is a supremely talented artist and seamstress and her aprons are full of creativity and attention to detail. Her beautiful work is such a wonderful crafty inspiration! Unfortunately, I just can't justify spending almost $100 on it, so I wanted to see if I could make something just as cute. I've been working on it since the beginning of December in between Christmas shopping, holiday parties, decorating and baking. I just finished the hand embroidery, and am currently working on sewing the ric rac trim. I've changed some of the details and am not going to sell it, so I hope it's ok that I make it!

On Sunday, I plan on working on it just a bit more. I'll take a couple pictures to post so that you can follow along with my progress. I'd love to see what sort of crafty things y'all are working on! Isn't that one of the best parts about being a 'domestic engineer'?! I just love all things crafty. I plan on passing this down to my daughter if I ever have one. It's a lost art and I just hate seeing it get lost in the shuffle. ;)


Here is what I have so far. I'll take another picture if I can get more done today! :)

Have a wonderful and restful Sunday, folks!

Update: Since I'm speaking aprons, I wanted to add a link to an AWESOME charity a friend of mine founded. It's called Three Twenty Seven Designs and is based on the scripture,

"for all of you that were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."

Galatians 3:27

What sweet Chelsea is doing, is sewing chic aprons, and donating a portion of the sales to Attitudes and Attire, a non-profit charity, "dedicated to promoting personal growth for women seeking self-sufficiency." These women are homeless, come from abusive relationships, are single mothers who need a little help. They can't afford the clothing needed for job interviews. Attitudes and Attire provide, "the tools that raise self-esteem, promote ethics and build the confidence necessary to succeed in the workplace." What a great organization!

And how sweet is three twenty seven designs? Chelsea tied it all together with scripture- clothing yourself in Christ, clothing others in need, and clothing yourself with super cute aprons for charity! I love it! Chels is an awesome girl and I'd love it if you passed the word of what she is trying to do.

xoxo-Jennifer

My Little Shop

I've noticed that there are many wives on the blogs I read that have an Etsy shop. I just adore Etsy. I found some awesome gifts for Christmas this year on there and it has also been so kind as to afford me a little 'mad money'. Since May of this year, I have been an Etsy seller myself! :) I am a metals jewelry stamper and my favorite medium to work on is sterling silver. My shop is called Her Southern Charm, and it has really been a delight. The Lord has blessed my little business many times over and I couldn't be more grateful. I was so overwhelmed this holiday season with orders, that at times, I thought I would lose it! At least now, I'm better prepared for next Christmas!

I thought I'd give you a small peek at some of my favorite designs from this year, and a couple of new ones that I'm working on for 2009. I'm so excited! I've got all these ideas swirling in my little head and I just bought a new adorable font that I can't wait to show my customers!!! :)

One of my favorite peices because it is one of my favorite quotes from Scripture.

Walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

LOVE this one for the mamas out there. It's called "Branch Child" and represents that this child (or children) are each thier own parts of your beautiful family tree. Of course the only branch that me and Hubby have right now is our little Jackson. :)

Another super seller! I think it's the pearl that gets 'em...Oh goodness, what G.R.I.T.S gal

could ever resist pearls?!

This is my pride and joy! It was done for Ms. Kathy Cash herself!! She commissioned me to do my Walk the Line necklace and I just had to make her this one. On the other side, I've stamped 'Mama', as she used to call her, as well as the dates she lived. She was oh so sweet and couldn't be more gracious and thankful. I can't tell you how far my jaw dropped when I saw that she had ordered something from me. I was just speechless! And for me, that is saying something!

Anyhoo, on to some new ideas I have for next year. Let me know what yall think of them as well as the font. It's called Kismet and I just can't get enough of it. I've been stamping with it anything I can get my pretty little hands on! :)

This is cause I'm a serious "Take Care of Mama Earth" freak. You gotta do what you can. I just couldn't believe all the environmental issues that come up in the last election. Watching that commercial about the polar bears got me every time....I get teary just thinking about that baby polar bear trying to swim to his sweet mama. Recycle people! Walk! Buy used books! Use your library! Carry the non-disposable bags to the grocery store! (You can get some caa-ute ones at Tarjay or Central Market) Ok, I'm stepping off my soapbox now.... ;)

Here's the new font! What do you think?

I did this one for a Yorkie Rescue group that I love to donate to. There are just so many sad stories on there. I always give my baby extra hugs and kisses after I read some. Please consider adoption before contributing to horrible puppy mills and "mall" pet stores. You'e saving a life and giving a soul a new family to love.

Simple and classic. :) I wear this one all the time with our initials.

Now let's see your treasures! What do you sell in your etsy shop or make for craft booths and shows? I'm just so amazed and blown away by some of yall's creativity. We are all so lucky that we are able to contribute to our family, no matter how small may be. And the fact that we can do it in our own sweet homes makes it that much more special.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Advertising and Giveaways

Thank you for your interest in the advertising with Her Southern Charm.

Started in December of 2008, Her Southern Charm has approximately 650+ followers, over 1,070 subscribers and gets over 10,000 hits each month. Think of how many people will be seeing your button and link to your site.

I've done successful reviews and giveways for fabulous businesses such as Tucker Blair, author Laura Lipton, Ame & Lulu, and Vineyard Vines.

My readers consist of:

* women interested in the preppy lifestyle

* homemakers

* stay at home moms; household decision makers

* single women in their 20's

* college educated women

* young mothers

* women interested in home decor and interior design
* women who like arts & crafts

Top Bill Advertising: $25/month

* 125px x 125px ad image

* right side next to my newest article

* includes a link back to your web page

* I offer 30 day or 14 day runs

* lower column rates available

Sponsoring Giveaways:

To sponsor giveaways, you must submit the item for review, as well as provide a giveaway item worth at least $25 for my readers. In return, I will direct traffic to your site thru the giveaway post on my blog, and twitter updates. You will also get a lower column ad for a month. Reservations are taken on a first come first serve basis.

Please email me directly for my rates and further info.

And thank you for partnering with Her Southern Charm!

xo,

The Southern Housewife

A glimpse of my holiday home

Since I have been priviledged to be invited into a lot of your beautiful homes, I figured it was only right to take you on a mini Christmas tour of mine. Even though the holidays are over, I like to leave the tree and decorations up for a few more days. Then I start feeling behind on my house cleaning and am forced to take them down. ;) The pictures I'll be sharing are of the past couple of years at our new home. We've been here about three, so I'm sure you'll be seeing how my decor changes and moves.

Unfortunately, we're still newly married (well, in my eyes!) and have yet to accumulate a vast amount of holiday decorations. (Head over to Ruthann's place for a winter wonderland that will blow you away!) I like to go to Target and the antique shops for the after Christmas sales, but I also do my best to not break the bank, so my hubby won't be sweating bullets. :)

I've just discovered that you can get a lot of neat things at yard sales and the like. And they've opened a new TJ Maxx Homegoods nearby. My goodness, you should have seen my eye pop out when I walked in there for the first time! :) I'm sure at that same point, Hubby's heart started racing and he didn't quite know why...hee hee. I also get a lot of decor from craft malls, Hobby Lobby, Garden Ridge, Joanns, and various antique shops. I need a garage sale buddy to head out on weekends with. Anyone in Texas?! :)

My buffet table in my dining room.

At the bottom of our stairs in the foyer. I'd love to add more to this area next year.

On the bar separating our kitchen from our living area.

I refill these jars by season. For Fall, they were filled with gourds and during the year, its filled with yummy potpurri. Maybe I can find some cute wooded Easter eggs for the Spring.

The door leading to my small laundry room.

A corner on my kitchen counter. I just love chickens! And the recipe for those cookies coming up on Monday!

I love the jingle sound this makes when someone I love walks through the front

I made a couple of these wooden prim signs last year. The previous pictures were a couple of my favorite ornaments.

Our fire place and mantle.

Christmas '07- The Loot (And no, this was not all for me. My immediate family comes over Christmas morning, so these are gifts for 8 adults and one very spoiled niece.)

A couple Christmases ago, my sweet MIL started giving me the Willow Tree Nativity Collection. I just love WT and am almost complete! This year, she gave me the 3 Wise Men. Next year, I'd love those cute stars. They're just too darling!

Our stair banister. I worked so hard on this darn banister! It's not how I envisioned, but I think it turned out ok. :)

Christmas '06 tree. This tree is decorated with primitive ornaments. I love the collection that Target had a couple years ago. It's what got me started. And I've been collecting ever since. :) Hubby and I get one special ornament each year. We've been doing it since before we were married and I hope it continues to be a family tradition.

I'll leave you with a picture of the cutest little puppers that ever lived! This is my baby, Jackson in his red Christmas thermal pajamas. (Hey, I've got to keep him warm! How much heat do you think 5 lbs of doggy would generate?! hee hee!)

Welcome, yall!

Hey yall! I've been meaning to start this for a long time now. I have a lot of things to say about being a young stay at home wife, so I figured I might as well broadcast them out to the whole wide world! :)

I guess I should start with a little about myself. I am a 20 something stay at home wife. I have a college degree in Early Childhood Education which I used to teach 5th grade. Upon realizing that because I was working, my house was crumbling around me, my husband and I spent no quality time together, and my poor baby dog was crated for 8+ hours each day, I decided to follow the Lord's natural design for women. And that was to be a homemaker. A keeper of the home. A help meet for my wonderful husband.

After talking with my husband, we both decided it would be best to try it out and see what happened. Yes, we'd lose a chunk of the money I would bring in, but would it make our lives less chaotic and more whole? Absolutely it did! However, I couldn't get a lot of people to see it our way. My decision was met with much resistance. My parents were the most vocal. Why was I wasting my degree? What did I have to do all day? I didn't have a child, so why stay home?

I wanted to answer those questions, but I couldn't say it was just a feeling I had in me. How do you explain to someone that you just know that He wants you to be right here? How do I tell my mother, who worked her whole life, that God wants all women to be at home? It was hard to do. Occasionally I still get some remarks, but I don't let them get to me. I know that what I'm doing is His work. I know that when my future baby thinks back to their childhood, they'll remember me being at home, making it a wonderfully cozy, love filled place to live.

After knowing this is where I needed to be, I began to devour books and blogs on homemaking and being a wife. I wholeheartedly recommend The Excellent Wife, by Martha Peace as well as A Wife After God's Own Heart, by Elizabeth George. Reading and studying those have put my heart in the right place within my marriage. I'm not a perfect wife by any means, but I'm trying. After growing up with feministic ideals etched into my brain, I'm slowly learning the security and freedom of being a submissive wife. Since my momma was a working woman who never knew how to cook, sew, bake, etc, I'm teaching myself these crafts. With fast food chains fast replacing mom's home cooked meals, I'm doing what I can to combat that. And with children being raised by teachers and day care workers, I'm trying to teach that it doesn't have to be this way.

It's not all perfect. Praise God my husband has a wonderful job that provides us with plenty, but I still sacrifice in order to stay home. When I was working, we weren't thrifty at all. My job afforded me weekly manicures, 3 vacations a year, jaunts to high end stores 'just because' I felt like buying things, the ability to throw lavish parties, more shoes than I know what to do with, etc. And they were all wonderful. But when the new wore off, it was over. Even though we've had to cut back and start thinking and spending like adults, we're happier than ever. Getting my home in order and making my home a haven for my husband is worth more than 5,000 pairs of Jimmy Choos. :) I don't know why those bra burning ladies wanted to go out in the workplace so badly. Staying home and taking care of our house and my husband is the MOST rewarding job. Now my paychecks come in the form of notes from my husband, thanking me for what I do for us, and the compliments I get on the way my house always smells so nice. And those things make me feel happier so much longer than any pedicure ever would.

I do hope that this blog will allow me to meet other like minded women out there as well as dispel some stereotypes that housewives are frumpy, lazy women who sit on the couch and watch Oprah all day. Honey, I wish we could! ;) And I've been following so many of yall, I figured I might as well jump in, too! :) Can't wait to get my little adventure started! :)
xoxo, The Southern Housewife

Please contact me for all your graphic design needs!

hersoutherncharm@gmail.com